Appendix 3. Sample Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)

Appendix 3. Sample Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT
[Neighborhood’s Name] Weed and Seed Community
[Name of USAO District]
[City, State]
I. IN GENERAL
Weed and Seed is a program under the administration of the Community Capacity
Development Office (CCDO) in the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), United States
Department of Justice. CCDO assists states, units of local governments, neighborhoods,
and community-based organizations in developing Weed and Seed Strategies under the
authority of the Omnibus Crime and Control Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3712 §
103 to 105).
II.
PURPOSE
This initiative aims to prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, drug abuse, and gang
activity. Its operative strategy incorporates a community-based, comprehensive multiagency
approach to law enforcement, crime prevention, and neighborhood restoration.
It is designed for neighborhoods with persistent high levels of serious violent crime and
corresponding social problems. Weed and Seed Communities are developed in
partnership with many local organizations including the United States Attorney’s Office
(USAO) to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in a community. Partnering
entities are required to primarily draw on and redeploy existing public and private
resources in crafting problem resolution rather than focusing on limited discretionary
federal grant funds.
The strategy recognizes the importance of involving community residents who are
intimately familiar with local community conditions and community decisionmakers who
have the responsibility, authority, and control of existing community public and private
resources. These groups must work together in identifying and solving the problems in
their neighborhoods. Actions pursuant also help to address related social problems that
without proper intervention often lead to violent crime, drug abuse, and gang activity.
Recognizing that only with the redeployment of existing community resources can
significant and sustainable change be achieved in consistently high-crime
neighborhoods, the undersigned governmental and non-governmental agencies have
embraced the common goal of significantly reducing violent crime and narcotics activity
in the following community:
‣ [Name of target area – This section must state the geographicaljurisdictional
boundaries of the program]
This initiative will consist of law enforcement operations and strong community
engagement to suppress criminal activities, empower residents to build safer
neighborhoods, and facilitate in the implementation of highly effective, sustainable
restorative strategies.
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III.
PARTIES
A. A Steering Committee will be established to plan and implement
intervention measures in the targeted community. The United States Attorney must
serve as a voting member of the Steering Committee. Members of the committee will
include at least one (1) representative from the following agencies, faith-based
organizations, community-based organizations, corporations, and residents:
‣ [USAO District]
Representative’s Name
Position at the Weed and Seed Steering Committee or Sub Committee
‣ [Applicant’s agency name]
Representative’s Name
Position at the Weed and Seed Steering Committee or Sub Committee
‣ Chair of the Steering Committee
‣ All others
IV. GENERAL UNDERSTANDINGS, AGREEMENTS, AND
REQUIREMENTS
A. All members of the Steering Committee will meet at a set date and time to be
established at the convenience of its members, at least bi-monthly.
B. Employees, volunteers and/or agents of non-governmental organizations may be
required to submit to a criminal background check in accordance with the policy of
the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
C. The parties will be responsible for the creation and execution of their operations in
the target areas.
D. All parties will work to ensure that programs initially developed by the Steering
Committee will be operationally transferred and integrated into existing public or
private organizations as soon as possible—throughout the life of the project—to
achieve sustainability and enable the Steering Committee to maintain its design,
planning, and development functions.
E. Due to investigative sensitivities, specific and detailed information relative to law
enforcement operations, including individual suspects and targets, will generally not
be shared outside of the law enforcement partnership. However, the Subcommittee
will create and execute plans that seek to address problems identified by the
inclusive Steering Committee.
F. Neither Party to this MOA shall release information derived from the other Party to a
non-participating third party without prior approval of the contributing MOA Party.
G. All participating agencies will be required to submit progress reports to the
Chairperson of the Steering Committee on a quarterly basis. This information is
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needed to comply with the initiative’s overall reporting requirements as well as to
capture information for evaluation purposes.
Weed Efforts
V. SPECIFIC UNDERSTANDINGS, AGREEMENTS AND REQUIREMENTS
Law Enforcement
A. The [Agency, non–profit, faith-based, neighborhood or private organization]
agrees to provide the following: [List in bullet-style the specific resources,
activities, collaboration, or contributions – including monetary, in-kind or other
financial -- that the organization will be responsible for providing].
[Repeat the same clause for each Steering Committee member and partners,
including residents, who will commit or provide resources for the Weed -- Law
Enforcement effort as part of the Weed and Seed Strategy.]
Community Policing
B. The [Agency, non–profit, faith-based, neighborhood or private organization]
agrees to provide the following: [List in bullet-style the specific resources,
activities, collaboration, or contributions – including monetary, in-kind or other
financial -- that the organization will be responsible for providing].
[Repeat the same clause for each Steering Committee member and partners,
including residents, who will commit or provide resources for the Weed -- Community
Policing effort as part of the Weed and Seed Strategy.]
Seed Efforts
Prevention, Intervention and Treatment
C. The [Agency, non–profit, faith-based, neighborhood or private organization]
agrees to provide the following: [List in bullet-style the specific resources,
activities, collaboration, or contributions – including monetary, in-kind or other
financial -- that the organization will be responsible for providing].
[Repeat the same clause for each Steering Committee member and partners,
including residents, who will commit or provide resources for the Seed --
Prevention/Intervention/Treatment effort as part of the Weed and Seed Strategy.]
Neighborhood Restoration
D. The [Agency, non–profit, faith-based, neighborhood or private organization]
agrees to provide: [List in bullet-style the specific resources, activities,
collaboration, or contributions – including monetary, in-kind or other financial --
that the organization will be responsible for providing].
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[Repeat the same clause for each Steering Committee member and partners,
including residents, who will commit or provide resources for the Seed --
Neighborhood Restoration effort as part of the Weed and Seed Strategy.]
VI.
MODIFICATIONS
This MOA may be modified at any time by written consent of all parties involved.
VII.
EFFECTIVE DATE
This MOA is effective on [date of effectiveness] and is in effect until the project
end date of [end date of the last projected activity in the implementation plan], or until
otherwise modified.
VIII.
SIGNATORIES
The undersigned have read and signed the Weed and Seed strategic plan
[Attached as Attachment 1] for the District of [district]; and agreed to execute the
objectives outlined in the plan that pertain to their agency.
The undersigned hereby execute this Memorandum of Agreement on behalf of
their agencies, instrumentalities, organizations, corporations or groups.
[Name of Authorized Official]
[Position of Authorized Official]
[Agency]
[Name of Authorized Official]
[Position of Authorized Official]
[Agency]
[Name of Authorized Official]
[Position of Authorized Official]
[Agency]
[Name of Authorized Official]
[Position of Authorized Official]
[Agency]
[Name of Authorized Official]
[Position of Authorized Official]
[Agency]
[Name of Authorized Official]
[Position of Authorized Official]
[Agency]
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